Machine frame



G. T. RONK pri 29, 1930.

MACHINE FRAME Filed May 8 1928 Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE T. BDNK, F CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA I MACHINE ranma Application led May 8, 1928. Serial No. 275,995.

This invention relates to machine frames shorter at one end than the other. Each of of that type designed to be used in connecthe plates 10 and 11 comprises a web portion with the construction of large and heavy tion 12 substantially of uniform thickness machinery, and particularly to that type of throughout its entire length. Each edge of frames employing fiat and arallel plates the web portion is provided witha flange 13 connected by transverse mem ers or sleeves, to stifen the same. Each end of the plate 11 said sleeves being adapted to act as axle bearis tapered and provided with an inwardly exings; and my present invention relates partending notch 14 designed to provide guideticularly to a frame member designed to be ways for an adjustable bearing adapted to used in connection with the treads of ditchmove longitudinally of the frame. One end 6U ing machines of the linked tread type. of the frame 10 is shortened, while the other In machines of this type the plates of the end is tapered and provided with a slot simicastings are sometimes twelve feet long and lar to the notch 14. two feet wide, and spaced apart a consider- The plates 10 and 1l are connected by 15 able distance and connected with sleeves formsleeves 15, each of which is provided with an 65 ing axle bearings. In casting.frame memopening 16 for receiving shafts, said openbers of this type, great difliculty is experiings being machined to form suitable bearm enced due to shrinkage of the casting, and also ings. to warping of the casting, making it ditlicult It will readily be seen that great diculty 20 to accurately cast the sleeve so the shafting would be experienced in casting the plates 10 70 will bc properly spaced. Further difficulty and 11 and the sleeves 15 in a single unitary is experienced in machining the sleeves with casting, yet it is very desirable to have the the castings and other bearing surfaces, inframe thus formed to make it rigid. asmuch as the castings are heavy and bulky. In the actual construction of this frame, I

It is therefore the object of my invention cast each of the plates 10 and 11 separately, 75 to provide an improved frame member, and and provide in each of the said plates openthe method of makin same, whereby large ings 17, the centers of which are in alineframe members may ie easily and cheaply ment with the centers of the sleeves 15. The constructed of cast metal, and at the same said openings 17 are somewhat larger in diamao time be strong and accurate. eter than the diameter of the sleeves, and have 8U My invention consists in the construction, their edges beveled outwardly, as clearly ilarrangement and combination of the various lustrated in Figure 3. Each of the sleeves parts ofthe device, whereby the object con- 15 is also cast separately, and each provided templated is attained, as hereinafter more with a pair of flanges 18 and 19. The said fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and fianges are so spaced that their outer surfaces 85 illustrated in the accompanying drawings, will engage the inner surfaces of the plates in which: 10 and 11 when the said sleeves are inserted Figure 1 is a side elevation of a frame memtherein. These sleeves are bored and the outer ber formed by my improved method, said faces of the flanges 18 and 19 may be finished frame member being illustrated as applied if so desired to give accurate spacing between 90 to a templet or form, said templet being in the outer faces of the flanges, which should elevation. be equal to the distance between the plates Figure 2 is a plan view of my improved 10 and 11. frame, the templet being in elevation. In assembling the frame, I first provide a Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken form or templet 2O having a base 21 pro- 95 on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. vided with upwardly extending shafts 22 ac- The frame member illustrated comprises a curately spaced apart and alined with said pair of plates 10 and 11, which are substanbase, the spacingV of said shafts 22 being the tially the same with the exce tion that they same as the finished spacing of the centers are made 1n rlghts and 1e s, and one is of the sleeves 15. 105

I have also provided at each end of the base 20 an upwardly projecting post 23. Said posts 23 and the shafts 22 are in alinement longitudinally of the casting.

The frame member 11 is then placed in position with its inner face uppermost, with the shafts 22 projecting through the openings 17 and with the posts v23 passing through the slots 14. The plate 1l may then be wedged up so that its inner face is parallel with the base 21. This is accomplished by suitable wedges 25. The sleeves 15 are then placed on the Shafts 22 with their flanges 18 supported on the upper face of the frame 11. It should be noted that the flanges 18 and 19 are supported inwardly from the ends of the sleeves so that the ends of the sleeves will project through the openings 17. The plate 10 is then on top of the flanges 19 with the sleeves 15 extending through the openings 17, andthe slot 14 over the left hand post 23, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The last said post is provided with a transverse opening 26 for receiving a transverse bar 27v located beneath the end of the frame 10. Suitable wedges 28 may then be employed for bringing the inner face of the frame member 10 parallel with the inner face of the member 11. The said frame 10 may be adjusted longitudinally if necessary, on account of the openings 17 being larger than the sleeves 15.

After the frame members are properly placed, the flanges 18 of the sleeves 15 are secured to the inner face of the frame 11 by placing moulten metal between the periphery of the flanges 18 and the inner face of the plate 11. This is best accomplished by what is commonly known as the electric welding process, which permanently welds the peripheries of the flanges to the plate.

It will be seen that the beveled edges of the openings 17 form annular groovesabout the sleeves 15, said grooves being' open at their outer sides and closed at their inner sides by the flanges 19.- The upper annular grooves are next filled with moulten metal by the electric welding process, said layer of metal being desi ated by the numeral 29, said metal being lled in until it is cone shaped as illustrated in Figure 3.

By this means the edges of the openings 17 are permanently secured to the sleeve 15. The members 10 and 11 and the sleeves l5 are thus rigidly supported together by the upper and lower welds 29. The entire frame may then be lifted from the shafts 22 and the posts 23, after which the frame is inverted. Then the annular grooves in the frame 11 .are filled with moulten metal, as illustrated at 30, and the peripher of the flange 19 is welded to the inner face o the plate 10.-

Thus it willbe seen that I have provided a frame member which is very rigid in its formation, due to the fact that the edges of the openings 17 are positively. welded to the sleeves 15, and further strengthened by welding the periphery of the flanges 18 and 19 to the inner surface of the plates. This last Welding is very effective due to the fact that the welding is supported a considerable distance from the center of the sleeve, and provides means for eliminating torsional or twisting strains on the plates.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a frame member which is very rigid and comparatively cheap, and at the same time provides a frame wherein the bearings are absolutely in proper alinement with the said frame, and one which is very strong due to the union between the'edges of the flanges, and the iner surfaces of the plates.

I claim as my invention 1. A machine frame comprising a pair of parallel and spaced plates, each having sleeve receiving openings, a sleeve supported in each set of corresponding openings, each sleeve having circumferential flanges supported adjacent to the inner faces of said plates, said openings being larger than the sleeves and smaller than the flanges to form annular grooves about said sleeves, the sleeves and plates being welded together to form an integral frame.

2. A machine frame comprising a pair of spaced plates each having sleeve receiving openings, a sleeve supported in each set of corresponding openings, said openings being larger than the sleeves to form annular grooves about said sleeves, said sleeves having a flange overlapping one of the faces of said plates, said plates being united to said sleeve and flanges by welding.

3. A machine frame comprising a pair of spaced plates each having sleeve receiving openings, a sleeve supported in each set of corresponding openings, said openings being larger than the sleeves, said sleeves Lhaving flanges overlapping one of the faces of each of said plates, the edge of said opening being welded to said sleeve and the peripheries of said flanges being welded to said plates.

Des Moines, Iowa, April 25, 1928.

l GEORGE T. RONK. 

